Readout of Secretary Napolitano's Trip to New Orleans

Release Date:

January 30, 2013

For Immediate ReleaseDHS Press OfficeContact: 202-282-8010

NEW ORLEANS—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to New Orleans to highlight the Department’s role in supporting security operations for Super Bowl XLVII, and the continued partnership with the National Football League (NFL) on the “If You See Something, Say Something ™” public awareness campaign to help ensure the safety and security of employees, players and fans throughout the regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl XLVII.

“Security is a shared responsibility and our continued partnership with the NFL on the “If You See Something, Say Something™” public awareness campaign during the Super Bowl is a critical part of our security efforts,” said Secretary Napolitano.

As part of the Department's “If You See Something, Say Something™” partnership with Super Bowl XLVII, campaign graphics will appear on the videoboard, televisions and posters throughout the Superdome on game day. Safety messaging will also be printed in game programs and fan guides for staff, players, and volunteers. In addition, "If You See Something, Say Something™" advertisements will be seen throughout New Orleans at the airport, on billboards, and on public transportation, magazines and visitor guides.

The “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign—originally implemented by New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and now licensed to DHS for a nationwide campaign—is a simple and effective program to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.

The Department launched the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (SAR). The SAR Initiative is an administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators related to terrorism and terrorism-related crime; standardize how those observations are documented and analyzed; and ensure the sharing of those reports with the Federal Bureau of Investigation-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces for further investigation and fusion centers for analysis.

Secretary Napolitano also met with local law enforcement officials and viewed security operations at and around the Superdome including the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to provide security assessments and training to state and local law enforcement, local hotel employees, and others to help them identify potential risks and take steps to mitigate them.

Security and transportation plans for Super Bowl XLVII have been developed in partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement and public safety agencies. DHS will support these local efforts in the following ways:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection(CBP) officers and non-intrusive inspection equipment are scanning the cargo entering the stadium for contraband such as narcotics, weapons, and explosives.

The U.S. Coast Guard and CBP Office of Air and Marine are helping to secure the waters and skies around New Orleans.

CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will conduct operations specifically targeting counterfeit vendors and local merchants of game-related sportswear. This is part of a crackdown on intellectual property rights violations and to ensure fans are getting official Super Bowl-related memorabilia.